


Merry Christmas

by StarryAry



Category: Free!
Genre: Boys Being Boys, Christmas, Fluff, Gift Giving, M/M, Not so blind date, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2017-12-23 14:29:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryAry/pseuds/StarryAry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gou wants to bring Rin and Haru together as a Christmas present to them both.<br/>Posted in a few mini-chapters instead of one big oneshot.</p><p>**THIS FIC HAS BEEN ABANDONED AND WILL NEVER BE FINISHED**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Guzhenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guzhenn/gifts).



Winter. 

Nothing is worse. 

I can't even think of anything worse. 

If the water isn't swimmable, what am I going to do? 

Ice skating? Don't make me laugh. 

Not like I would though. 

It's not funny. 

***

I'm sitting in the tub and the doorbell rings. Anybody important would just find a way in so I don't bother to answer. After minutes of neglect to the door, there's a tap on the window. I play with the latch a bit and eventually unlock it (it's been a while since I've opened the window in here) and the person on the other side lifts it open. 

"Kou." I say, a bit surprised it wasn't Makoto or Nagisa. (Although Makoto would have just come in through the front door.) 

"Haru-chan, can I come in? It's cold." I nod at her, close the window, and towel off. I'm not going to bother putting on clothes, when she leaves I'm just going to get back in the bath. I open the door to see a glitter-eyed Kou. She's mumbling something. I try to ignore it and through my shivering I hear her comment on my obliques. Or maybe it was just incoherent babble. She sighs and sweeps past me so I can shut the door. "I'm here to talk about Nii-chan." 

I nod at her and she sits on the tatami. I sit with her. Words kinda pour out of her mouth, about Rin, about dating, about Rin being single, and how worried she is. 

"What's wrong with being single? Rin's probably too focused on swimming to date." she shifts a bit, like maybe she has no idea how to respond. 

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just..." She trails off. I don't urge her to continue, and when she realizes I'm not going to she does anyways. "Christmas is soon." 

Oh. I see. Rin has always been one to watch couples in awe, walking hand in hand around the holidays. Everyone had known this. I suppose High School is usually around the time dating starts happening, and being the secret hopeless romantic Rin was, it's going to probably going to be hard on him for a while. I nodded at her again, twice actually. 

"Good, you understand." she says. "We need to go gift shopping then." Oh. Okay no. I don't understand. I thought we were going to set him up with a date. Maybe Kou is the one who doesn't understand? Maybe Kou isn't on the same page, but I'm not one to interject. "When is good for you?" She asks. I glance down at my hands, which are still wrinkled into looking like prunes. 

"Now is as good a time as any." So I get dressed, and we head to the shopping arcade.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin stalks the shoppers

_The pool is closed, and there's nothing special going on. I suppose I could go to the Gym. No... I went yesterday. I should pace myself. Maybe I should go for a run. Yeah, a run sounds good. I'll run through town. There's no snow on the ground, so it won't be so bad, just a little cold._

Rin pulls on his track jacket and grabs his ipod. He left the dorm and took off towards the station. It's colder than he had assumed. Rin had planned on taking a left and sprinting down the street just past the shopping arcade, but stops in his tracks when he sees Gou walking with... Haru. Just Haru. _They can't possibly be on a date, can they?_

They enter the arcade and Rin considers following them a much better idea than running in the freezing cold. 

Rin ducks in the first shop--An electronics place--And watches them enter a clothing store. Over the course of 10 minutes, Gou brings Haru several hats and t-shirts from the shelves, to which he declines them all. Haru wanders back into the street while Gou is still looking, leaving her behind. _If this is a date, Haru's making it a shitty one._ He walks into an accessory shop that has mostly men's stuff. He looks at stuff mostly near the door, hopefully waiting for Gou to catch up. _If he goes inside I won't be able to see from here, but I can't chance Gou seeing me in the hallway._

"Boy." Rin turns to find a small old man speaking an obscure dialect. He almost sounds Chinese. "Buy or leave. You stand there for five minute and not even look at wares." 

"Yeah, yeah." Rin muttered as he pulls out 100¥ and shoves it in the man's hand. 

He looks back up to find Gou wandering in the hallway. Eventually she finds Haru so Rin can move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am only writing Haru in first person because I feel like Rin's perspective is too weird for it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka picks something.

"Haru-chan! Don't leave me behind like that!" 

"There was nothing I liked in there." I look under the glass as Kou complains that we're shopping for her brother, not for myself. If I don't like it, he probably won't, but I'm not going to say that. I don't see anything in this case that would work. Everything is flashy or feminine. Rin needs something more classic and practical. 

"Excuse me," I ask the clerk, "Do you carry watches?" The trendy looking guy behind the desk waves vaguely to the back of the store. He let's us know he can unlock the case if we like one. I nod in response. 

There are many watches, about twenty of them, and four of them I would love for myself. We look all through the case and I feel like they're all wrong for Rin. Most of them too shiny or too expensive or both. I sigh and just as I turn to leave I see a display of three black watches, very different from the ones in the big case. They look more functional than pretty and one of them even has a little sign by it that reads 'WATERPROOF'. I stare at it for a few moments, and Kou understands. 

"It's nice, how much is it?" She asks. I shrug and look at the tag through the glass. 

"10000¥." I pull out my wallet and peek inside. I have 7000¥ until allowance on Friday. "Kou?" She nods still looking at the watch. She brakes eye contact with it to check her coin purse. I count her money over her shoulder. It's just over 4000¥. If we bought it we would both be broke. It's perfect though, so I wave the worker over. 

"This brand is on sale, it's 20 percent off." he tells us as he pulls it from the case. Kou smiles at me as we follow the clerk back to the counter. We decide to split it 60/40 so we each still have a few dollars, but it doesn't leave us with much. We pay and let him wrap it for us. 

As we leave, Kou stares into her coin purse, heartbroken. "I wanted to get some food, too ( ；´Д｀)" 

Almost by cue, my stomach growls. She laughs and I pull out my phone to call Makoto. 

[Hey Haru! What's up? Did your bath water dry up?]  
[Shopping. Broke. Feed me.]  
[*laugh* Okay! Meet me at the station.]


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin overhears a conversation about him part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's pretty much entirety dialogue because Rin can't see them.

Gou and Haruka leave the arcade and cross the street to stand by the station. Gou is obviously cold, and if it were a date, Rin is sure Haru would have put his arm around her by now to warm her up. Rin lets out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. 

Rin notices Haru carrying a small red gift bag with tissue paper sticking out the top. _Christmas shopping? For who?_

They stand around for about three minutes without talking before Gou waves down the street at someone. Rin can't see who it is from here. _Tch. I have to get a better view._ As Haru and Gou run over to meet the mystery person (people?) Rin crosses the street in step with a tall broad man in a business suit so he's not seen. Once across he ducks behind a big sign for the Takoyaki stand next to the station. When he peeks around the sign he sees Makoto, Haru, and Gou heading straight for him. Rin panics slightly, realising there is nowhere else to hide. He mentally slaps himself and decides to play cool like running into them is a coincidence. He kneels down to pretended to be tying his shoe when they pass, but they don't. 

"Takoyaki for three, please." He hears Makoto order. _They're getting food... might as well eavesdrop._

Rin hears an unfamiliar female voice. "Would you like some hot tea with that?... Okay. That will be ¥1000, Sir." 

"So what were you shopping for? Christmas gifts? Haru, I didn't know you had a sweetheart."

"We were getting a gift for Nii-chan." Gou says. _They went shopping for me? Why wouldn't Gou just go by herself?_

"Oh? What'd you get?"

"Your tea is ready, Takoyaki coming right up!" the girl at the stand calls. 

"We bought him a watch." Haruka says. 

_We?_

"We?" Makoto inquires. "One gift from you both?" 

Gou corrects him, "No, I have something else in mind. I pitched in, but the watch is from Haru-chan." Rin hears a slurping sound, then an 'Oh, hot hot! Tee hee.' 

"You do?" Haru asks, "But you spent nearly all of your money." 

Gou giggles, "My gift to him is something I don't have to buy. It's a s-e-c-r-e-t!"

"That's what I thought." Haruka says, "but you threw me off with the shopping part." 

Gou stammers for a moment. "How would you know what I'm planning? I never told you." 

"You're setting him up on a Christmas date, right?"

Rin facepalms and stares at the dead winter grass under him. _What the hell?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin overhears a conversation about him part 2

Kou is craftier than I give her credit for. Here I am sitting with her and Makoto, eating Takoyaki, not swimming, and I'm _very_ under pressure. At first I thought Kou wanted to hook Rin up on a Christmas date, probably with one of her female friends. Then she threw me off with the whole gift thing. 

But I get it now. 

Rin's Christmas date, as orchestrated by his sister, is with me. I'm not really upset about it. I wish she would have talked to me about it, because it won't be so well received. My feelings for Rin might have been a bit too obvious in hindsight, but I never took Kou to be one so intuitive about it. It must be a girl thing. 

I've been set up for failure. Rin doesn't feel the same way. Rin's not... not into men. As a kid he bullied boys who held hands, even if it was by direction of an adult. I had once hugged Rin in public (and for no particular reason other than to be closer to him, I didn't realise at the time why I felt that way.) and it made him visibly uncomfortable and he pushed me off. Kou is unknowingly forcing me towards heartbreak. 

Or maybe she isn't that observant. Maybe she wants us to spend time with him platonically. Maybe she just wants her brother distracted from a lonely Christmas. Maybe it's about the four of us being friends again. 

I can't really be sure. 

"Gou," Makoto asks, "who are you setting him up with?" 

She fiddles with her last Takoyaki. 

"Kou." I press. 

She mumbles something I can't quite hear. She's now torn the bread off her Takoyaki and is stabbing the little octopus leg with the stick. Makoto reaches for her hand to still it. She looks up at him, a little distressed and looking quite guilty. 

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain myself." She offers, "it's awkward to talk about, especially if I'm mistaken." she turns to me, and a bit of confidence returns to her face. "I'm not a fujoshi, okay? This is my brother we're talking about." 

"Me." I say. "You want to set him up with me." She nods. "Kou what makes you think he'd _want_ to go on a date with me? He doesn't play on that team." 

She puts down the Takoyaki stick to grab my hands and hold them in hers. "Haru-chan, I've seen the way he looks at you. As a little sister, if I didn't understand this much about him what good would I be?" By now she's looking me dead in the eyes, and I challenge her stare. "I know you have what it takes to make my big brother happy. And I truthfully, honestly hope he can accept his own feelings and make you just as happy in return." 

I break eye contact. The pressure is just too much. This Christmas Rin's going to break my heart, and Makoto and Nagisa will be left to pick up the pieces. Just like they did when Rin left us to study abroad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin attempts shopping.

_I've got a funking nutjob of a sister. I come back from Australia completely prepared to stay in the closet until graduation, and here she goes funking everything up. Haru and Makoto know it now, surely they'll tell Nagisa, Rei is going to find out, and eventually someone on my team will hear it too. I'm going to be ostracized and kicked off the team. Moving back to Japan was a mistake._

Rin sits behind the Takoyaki sign for a few more minutes while he hears his sister say goodbye to her upperclassmen. Haruka and Makoto decide to walk to Haru's house together. Rin finally stands when he can no longer hear their voices. Peaking around the sign he can see Makoto try to get the gift bag from Haru playfully as they turn the corner and walk out of sight. 

He doesn't feel like running home. 

After about ten minutes of wandering around, Rin pulls out his wallet to buy a hot tea from the Takoyaki stand. As the woman prepares is he stares into his wallet at the crisp, unused bills inside. Somehow his allowance has accumulated quite a bit. When he receives his tea, he strolls back to the shopping arcade mindlessly, trying not to think about how quickly he wants Christmas to come. 

In the time he has been outside, the mall has gotten busy. Stores are running specials and shoppers are eating them up like consumer busybees. 

Ignoring the crowds, Rin finds an empty kitchenware store. He wanders the aisles and the only thing that stood out was an apron, and the thought of Haru naked in one. Just then the saleswoman asks him if she can help. 

"Well..." Rin works quickly to fabricate a story. In the end he goes with the truth in a spur of laziness. "I need a Christmas gift for the person I like, and I don't know what to get." 

"Do they like to cook?" She asks, and when he shrugs she continues, "Do you?" 

"Not particularly." He admits. "I have no idea what I'm doing in here. I really only walked in because it was empty." The woman nods in thought. There really is nobody else in the store so she decides to help him. 

"What does this person like?" Rin picks up on her non-gender specific use of words, was he that obvious? 

"Haruka loves to swim. Loves the water in general." _Maybe the name will throw her off. Haru's got a girly name._

"I see." She says and nods again. She presses a button on the receipt printer behind the register and it spits out a strip of paper. She jots down an address. "Get them something special, something one of a kind. This is the address of a favourite shop of mine at the next station over. They have a very unique stock." She hands him the paper but doesn't let go. "Have a very happy Christmas young man. Both of you." 

Rin thanks her and while he leaves he wonders if maybe she wasn't thrown off by Haru's name, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru gets nostalgic

I can't help but to pick up this old photo album. The pictures are so nostalgic it hurts. Even though there were four of us, most of these pictures are of me and Rin. There's one in particular I'm searching for. 

I think it's towards the end. 

Aah, there it is. 

It's a picture of me and Rin in front of the big Christmas tree downtown two years ago when Rin last came to visit. I was blushing embarrassingly. Neither of us looked at the camera, and we definitely wouldn't have looked at each other. I was infatuated and Rin was angry. 

Although I never really understood why. 

I put the album back just in time for Makoto to come back from the bathroom. 

"Haru, what's wrong? Are you crying?" He asks me. I'm not crying. Well, tears aren't running down my face, but I guess they may as well be. 

"Nothing wrong. I just want to swim." It's a lie covered in truth. Everything is wrong and I want to swim. 

"You're lying to me, Haru."

"I really do want to swi--"

"Stop." Makoto orders. He looks mad. Makoto never gets mad.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin picks something.

It's still rather early, so Rin decides to check this place out today. He jogs back to the dorm to change into something warmer, and sets out for the train station. The ride is noisy; there's no school today and with the holiday so close they have nothing better to do than be obnoxiously loud about their excitement. 

_Haru's always quiet, even when he's really into something. I'm not so upset about Gou's little charade because she has impeccable taste for me. She might have chalked it up to me looking at him dreamy eyed, but I don't._

_Do I?_

*pssht* [Next stop, station. Station. ] *pssht*

Rin gets off the train and notices just how empty the station is. A couple people passed him to get on, but nobody else got off the train here. He shrugs and credits it to the awkward time of day. 

Then as he leaves the station he starts to think maybe there isn't much even going on at this stop. There are homes, sure, but there are more bamboo groves and trees than anything. He makes his way to a convenience store to ask for directions. The old man working inside gives a very skeptical look after reading the address, but tells Rin how to get there anyway. 

Rin follows the directions perfectly, but finds no shop there. Or... Maybe he has. A sign over the door of a very eccentric looking home says, 'things for sale.' _Things? That's vague._

He walks up to the door, and notices a small plaque under a brass doorbell. 

'Ring and we shall retrieve you'

Rin presses the button.  
One minute passes.  
Two...  
Then the door pops open and an extremely handsome foreign man answers it. "Welcome, young man. Please, this way." Rin nods and follows silently. "I haven't seen you here before. Did you find out about us online?" 

"Recommended by a lady in the kitchen store."

"Wonderful!" the man exclaimed. They were walk down a hallway. "Did she tell you about us?" Rin discloses that no, she had not as they walk up a flight of stairs. "Well, then once again, I welcome you to my home, and my Shop of Things. My name is Dereku, I moved to Japan after graduating art school in America and..." He opens the door at the end of the hall. "This is where I sell my art." 

The room is cluttered with all kinds of... Well... Things. Jars everywhere with various objects inside, one with a whole octopus inside catches Rin's eye. There are lots of paintings and stained glass panes, and trinkets _everywhere_. 

Rin decides to use the English he's learned. _"This is an impressive collection, Derek."_

_"Oh my! You speak English. Proper English! Your accent is... Australian? Did you study abroad?" Rin nods. _"That's fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. Oh how I could get carried away right now. I must digress while I'm ahead. Are you searching for something today?"_ _

_"A Christmas gift."_

Derek reveals a radiant smile, _"I would love nothing more than to help. Who are you shopping for? Surely not for a girl in a place like this, it's terribly easy to find a good gift for a girl in a mall. And you don't strike me as the type to buy gifts for family. I hope I am not out of line in assuming you are shopping for a special male friend?"_ Rin coughs and adverts his gaze. _"Oh and you're shy about it too! You must not even be dating._ Rin glances back at him without saying a word. _This guy's a fucking psychic and it's giving me the creeps._ "Tell me about him, will you? Japanese is fine. I'll help you find the perfect gift." 

Rin spends several minutes retailing Derek with stories of his childhood with Haru. About swimming, and about the bond it created, about the fights they've had of recent. How Haru's eyes are the most alluring colour of blue he's ever seen, and how he can't stay out of the water for the life of him. 

"I can see why you're not sure what to get. He does sound like a difficult person to shop for, but three things come to mind. Are you ready to see them?" 

The first thing is an intricate, hand woven leather bracelet, chosen on the notion that Haru bought him a watch. Rin turns it down. 

The second was a good luck charm for success through physical channels such as sports. "He doesn't need luck in swimming, he's so talented it would be overkill." 

The third thing is a trinket, Derek explains that it's meant to be put on a cord for a necklace or a phone charm. He reveals a tiny glass bottle no bigger than a coin, filled half with clear water, and half with a thick blue liquid that floats over the water, separated. Oil probably. "I made this after reading a quote. 'Oil and water don't mix, they coexist and compliment like Ying and Yang.' I get the feeling that you're Oil and Haruka is Water. Ying and Yang. You need him to stay afloat, am I right?" 

"It's perfect." 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa finds out about the date.

"Haaaaaru-chaan!" I can hear Nagisa yell in my direction. Doubtless he's bounding towards me, so I don't bother turning. He tackles me from the side, but it's more of a glomp than a tackle because now he's clinging. "Are you really going on a date tomorrow?" I glare at Kou and she shakes her head. Not Kou? I then glare at Makoto and he avoids eye contact. Welp.

I let out an exasperated sigh and pry Nagisa from me. "Yeah." I relented.

"With who? Someone I know?"

On a roll with my glaring I stare beams into Makoto. He throws a hand behind his head to rub his neck and smiles. I choose not to reply. The situation is already so troubleso--

"With Rin Nii-chan!" Kou exclaims.

I swear that a vein popped out of my forehead, but I probably looked pretty indifferent. I'll take the passive-aggressive approach because I can."Why _thank you_ for sharing _Gou._ "

It takes a millisecond for heads to whip towards me and time itself stops for a measurable length, and only resumes again when Kou drops her bookbag.

"I... what? Whaa? But, but you always call me Kou!" she cries. 

Makoto puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's why I didn't tell. You just pushed a button that isn't easily unpushed." 

Nagisa makes a fluttery motion with his hands between us. I think he's trying to manually diffuse the situation. "Wait wait! Be mad later! Haru, you're going to spend Christmas with Rin? Our Rin?" 

Rei clears his throat, "How can he be 'our Rin' when he is on the opposing school's team? I feel like I'm missing something." 

This is not my idea of a good time. I think it's about time I get in the pool, because we've been standing in the lobby of the public pool for six minutes dealing with this Christmas business. We're supposed to be meeting here for practice, not badgering me about a date that wasn't even my idea. I show the attendant my pass and walk through a door while everyone is occupied with each other.

As I step into the locker room I immediately strip. I was wearing my jammers under my pants so in under a minute I'm putting all my clothes into a locker.  
In the pool room, I breathe the chlorine filled air. I dive in and let the awter take me. The indoor pool's water is warm compared to the freeing December air outside. The only thing in the world to calm my nerves is swim. So I do. After some floating around I let all the air escape my lungs and I sink to the bottom. I grab my ankles and sit cross legged on the textured floor of the pool.

Things will not go wrong tomorrow.  
Rin will not treat this as a date.  
We will forget the drama for one day.  
Rin will accept his watch like an adult and give me a manly pat on the back.  
We will eat at some dumb family restaurant.  
I will pay my own check.  
We will part ways before the trains stop running.  
And we'll go back to being old friends who don't talk.  
Right?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date begins

Rin is waiting outside his dorm building. Gou told him to 'meet her for cake' as a Christmas gift. It's 3:00 in the afternoon and even this close to the school all he sees are couples. Girls hanging off the arms of their boyfriends, wives holding hands with their husbands, families walking side by side. If he really thought he was waiting for his sister, he would have been fed up and went back inside by now.

But Rin knows.

Haru turns the corner and is bundled in a winter jacket that makes him sexy in ways that should be illegal. Rin steels himself as he approaches.

_Act surprised act surprised act surprised_

"Hey Haru, you're early." _Damnit why didn't I act surprised._

"I figured I shouldn't keep you waiting in this weather. You're not surprised to see me?" Haru stops a little closer than necessary, possibly being subconsciously forward.

Rin kicked himself intrnally for having to come up with a lie on the spot. "I told Gou I wouldn't meet her, so she spilled and said you were coming instead. You hungry?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take you somewhere good then." Rin said. When they started walking, Haru had put himself with a few feet space between them. Rin closed that space so their elbows were practically touching.

Rin's school is on the nicer side of town. The shops are all trendy and everything's lit up with delicate white lghts. It would probably look good in a few hours when the sun was setting. Benches are occupied with more couples chatting and flirting. There's a plaza that's closed off to traffic with large christmas tree and a photo booth set up in front of it.

The same way it was two years ago. Haru drops back a little jarred from the memory.

"Haruka," Rin calls to him, "I want to take a picture with you. Will you?" 

The apprehension is readable in Haru's bodylanguage, but his face shows nothing.

"I want tonight to rewrite last time. I was dumb in middle school. Let me make it up to you. Let me make it right."

Rin really does want to make it right. He was an ass for refusing Haru's gift that year. 'Only girls are supposed to buy stuff for guys on Christmas.' he had said. At the time, Rin was terrified of the idea of being gay. Only now is he regretting how hurtful he was that day.

They walk up to the young woman with the camera. A few words are exchanged and they go to stand in front of the tree. As she's setting up the shot Rin grabs Haru's hand and squeezes. Haruka looks at him and blushes.

They look at each other wordlessly, Rin smiling and Haru pleasantly surprised.

The photographer sees the perfect opportunity and without warning she snaps the shot.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What? Haru has anxiety problems?

-click-

Rin is holding my hand. He's holding my hand and smiling at me. This can't be happening. I squeeze his hand back just to make sure, and it's real. _This is real._

“To view and purchase your photo, please see Kanako over there at the computer.” The photographer says.

Still holding hands, I look at her confused. “But we haven't posed yet.”

“Don't worry, I got the perfect shot. If you're not happy with it you can come back over, but it turned out just right.”

We thank her and go to see the photo. It's perfect. It's back-lit by the tree and the soft light from the foreground didn't wash us out. Our eyes are locked and we look... happy. Not just happy... Rin looks positively glowing.

“Do you want a copy?” Rin asks me. I do, I really do, but before I can open my mouth to respond, Rin lets go of my hand to get out his wallet.

“How much for two four by sixes?”

“You can buy them at ¥500 a piece, or three for ¥1200.”

“Just two is fine.” I reply. I want this to be special, just for us. Nobody else needs to see this picture. I reach for my back pocket to pull out a five, but Rin stops me.

“Everything is on me tonight, Haru. I won't let you live it down if I see you try to pay for anything,” Rin warns me. He's being a... gentleman. Where the hell did that come from? It's so... sexy. I've never been treated this good before. The picture gets printed and Rin takes them both to put in the inside breast pocket of his coat to keep them safe. “We're almost to the restaurant. You still like seafood, right?”

He remembers that I like fish. Who is this perfect man? Why does he look so much like the asshole that I hate myself for loving so much? I need to answer his question and opt for nodding. I don't need to open my mouth and risk sounding dumb to nod.

“Good,” he mumbles as he reaches for my hand again.

Seafood Restaurant, hand holding, being paid for? This is a date. A real, proper date. I-- What? No-- I can't--

I start Hyperventilating and Rin takes notice immediately.

“Haru? What's wrong? You're breathing funny, are you okay?”

I nod again because I'm unable to speak. I'm ruining the moment. I have to calm down. I have to stop.

“Talk to me. I need you to tell me you're okay or I won't believe you. You don't look okay. You look like you're having a panic attack.”

A panic attack? I... I think he's right...


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chu!

Out of nowhere Haruka started breathing quick and shallow. Rin's freaking out, it's so sudden and random. Haruka was fine twenty seconds ago. Is it too cold? Did Rin do something wrong?

“I'm--”

Oh no, he can't even talk. He can't even say more than one word. Shit. What's Rin supposed to do? The only first aid he knows is swimming related.

“I'm... fine. I'm just... nervous” Haru pants then blushes.

_Holy shit, he's so nervous he's having a panic attack? I hope it's nervous in a good way. I mean, I know he likes me. After hearing the conversation at the takoyaki stand there's no way he could be disgusted right now. I have to calm him down. How do you calm down a nervous person?_

_In swimming we jump up and down and shake out the nerves before a race, but I don't think that's entirely appropriate right now._

_Maybe if I hugged him? Is that too friend-like?_  
Maybe if I...  
Maybe if I... 

Rin uses the hand he's still holding to pull Haru against him. He uses the other hand to cup Haruka's cheek and as lightly as he can, he kisses him on the lips.

Haru stops hyperventilating. In fact, he seems to have stopped breathing all together.

“Haru...” Rin locked his gaze with Haruka, “there's nothing to be nervous about. You're usually so calm and collected. Just breathe.”

Haru lets out a sigh and his breathing evens out.

“Don't freak me out like that. I thought I was going to have to take you to the ER. You're acting like you've never been on a date before.”

Haru closes his beautiful blue eyes and leans into Rin's touch.

“I haven't”

“What?”

Haru opens them again, but doesn't meet Rin's eyes. He reaches up and touches the hand on his face. “I've never been interested in anyone but you.”

Rin kisses Haru again, but this time it isn't softly. He kisses with parted lips and a force of passion that bloomed from within. Haru melts into the kiss and returns the enthusiasm. They only break the kiss when a man walks past and clears his throat. Embarrassed, they break away. They have to remember where they are.

“Let's eat.” Rin suggests.

And they head to the restaurant uninterrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this on tumblr and it's relevant to this fanfic.  
> a-titan-strolled-up-and. tumblr. com/post/62419412814/rin-sighs-nitori-whats-the-matter-rin-senpai  
> (remove spaces for link to work)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gift exchange!

I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant this fancy. Honestly I feel a little under-dressed. Rin's wearing a sharp looking vest over a button down and I'm in a polo. I've never even been to a place that took your coat, and I had to be quick getting the watch out of my jacket pocket.

Just how much money is Rin planning on spending tonight? If Kou hadn't helped me buy the watch I'd feel really bad not doing anything for him in return.

There's a reservation under his name and our table is ready immediately even though Rin says we are early. A very enthusiastic guy about our age brought us to our table.

“My name is Takuto and I'll be your waiter for this evening. We have two menus for you tonight, the first is tonight's specials, and the second is our full menu. Would you like anything to drink to start off?”

“Your house tea, please.” Rin orders.

“Definitely, Sir! Roasted tea coming right up. Same for you?” He asks while gesturing towards me.

“Yes, please.” I tell him, and he leaves us to look over the menu. There are almost too many shellfish choices and an impressive selection of fish. Towards the back there are even vegetarian and chicken options.

“Oh this sounds good, I think I'll have the grilled halibut,” Rin says, “Do you see anything you want?”

I'm not entirely done looking over the menu but I'm pretty set on my dish. It sounds like heaven.

“Broiled Mackerel.”

We chat about menu items for a bit and close our menus. Not even a minute later Takuto brings us our tea and takes our orders. Rin orders for me, and although he didn't have to I kind of appreciate the gesture. In fact I pop a smile as I figure now is as good of a time as any to give Rin his gift. I pull the small box out of my pocket and slide it across the table to him.

“Merry Christmas, Rin.” I add to accompany it. He picks it up and smiles. It's the kind of smile that makes my heart race just a little, and I wish I could jump in a pool to cool myself off. He opens the box and immediately puts the watch on. “It's waterproof, so you can wear it during practice.”

“Haru, it's perfect. It matches my team jacket and everything.” he says as he admires it. After a moment he reaches into his pocket and pulls out an even smaller box. “I got you something, too.”

Rin bought me a present? What... I'm hard to shop for... what could it possibly be? I open the box and lift the tissue protecting what's inside. It's a small glass bottle filled with two tones of liquid. It's really, really cool. Instantly I know this is the best gift I've ever received.

“Where did you find something like this?”

“I bought it from an American artist in the next town. I really wanted to get you something unique.” He pauses and touches my hand, “do you like it?”

I nod and pull out my cellphone to add the strap on it. When I finish Rin puts his hands on mine again and squeezes.

“It's supposed to represent balance, support and interconnection. I wanted you to have it, Haru.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finish dinner

Rin watched Haru enjoy his present for a moment before he had to reach across the table and touch him.

“Haru,” he prompted, “I know this might be a little premature of me to ask, but would you mind if we did this again? Like, a formal date? Not one set up by my sister?”

Haruka blushed, and returned the slight squeeze Rin was giving him. “Yeah... I'd like that.”

Takuto brought the food and they ate mostly in silence.

“I've missed you... a lot.” Rin said after taking a sip of his tea, plate empty save for a single bite. He edged the plate away from himself. “Haru... are you enjoying yourself?”

Haru nodded.

“It doesn't have to end here. I don't have to walk you to the station. You can come back to my dowrm with me if you'd like.”

Haru blushed and told him that it sounded nice, and he would come over. Takuto came to collect the empty plates and brought with him a small tart, and insisted it was 'on the house' and wished them a Merry Christmas. The check was placed strategically below the dessert. Rin pulled it out from underneath and paid it before Haru could glance at it.

There was an awkward moment where they both kind of stared at the tart. It looked like chocolate. Rin was about to dig in and just let Haru take his own initiative, but Takuto had taken all of their silverware and all that was left was a single spoon sitting on the edge of the plate.

He reached for it, scooped up a bite, and extended his arm towards Haru, offering him the first taste. Expecting Haru to be shy about being fed, Rin's face blushed into a deep blush when Haru graciously accepted the business end of the spoon into his mouth.

“It's good.” Haru announces.

Intent on making Haru as happy as possible tonight, Rin thinks maybe he should let Haru have the whole thing. He spoons up another bite, but when he goes to feed Haru again, Haru takes the spoon from him and return the deed. Blush deepening, Rin is painfully aware of them being in public and quickly eats what's been offered to him. The tart is quite small, and four more bites between them finishes it.

Rin wipes his mouth with his napkin and prompts to leave, and the retrieve their coats and thank Takuto for the wonderful service. As they exit, he interlaces his fingers with Haru's and they chat quietly during the walk to the dorms.

“Nitori's back home with family, so we have the place to ourselves. We can watch a movie or something.”

“Or something.” Haru mirrors.

Rin's head whips over to Haruka and he watches him continue looking forward, with no change in his expression, and the hand he was holding squeezed just a bit tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand now we enter the rated 'M' territory.


End file.
